Baku City Circuit declared on-track to host Formula 1
A FIA delegation, led by the FIA Formula One Race Director and
Safety Delegate, Charlie Whiting, has inspected the readiness of
the Baku City Circuit ahead of the 2016 FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX OF
EUROPE, to be held in Baku on June 17-19.
The inspection evaluated the quality of the track and its
surrounding facilities to ensure it will be fit for the purpose of
hosting a Formula 1 Grand Prix street race. After carrying out a
thorough inspection of the newest circuit on the Formula 1
calendar, the commission delivered a hugely positive verdict,
declaring Baku City Circuit as being on-track to host its first
ever Formula 1 race.
During his inspection, Whiting joined by the circuits famed
architect Hermann Tilke covered all aspects of F1’s newest street
circuit, including the Paddock and Pit Lane, located right in front
of Baku’s magnificent Government Building, as well as the
soon-to-be iconic image of the 2016 FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX OF EUROPE
- the 7.6 metre narrow, uphill, winding sequence of turns (T8-T11)
by the city’s Old Town walls. His inspection also took in the ‘dual
carriageway’ section of the circuit as well as the main straight
along Baku’s picturesque seaside boulevard, where cars are
estimated to hit speeds of up to 340 km/h as they race towards the
finish line.
To view a 3D rendering of Baku City Circuit please follow the below link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WVGFfE-0fc
Following his assessment of Baku City Circuit, Whiting confirmed that everything is looking good ahead of the city’s first ever Formula 1 Grand Prix this June.
“The Circuit will be ready. You can see the quality of all the
installations wherever you look. My next trip to Baku will be at
the beginning of June and I’m expecting to be able to say it will
be ready then! It will be a fascinating F1 race. Turns 8 to12 will
probably be the most interesting but so will the run from Turn 12
to 15, where the approach to Turn 15 in particular will be quite
spectacular. The very long run from Turn 16 to 20 which is going to
be flat out will also be amazing to watch! If I had to compare one
circuit to this one, it would be Singapore, but the speed here will
be much higher!” he said.
The F1 Race Director also had a message for any fans still deciding
whether to visit Baku or not: “I would say to anyone thinking of
coming here, you definitely should - it’s a lovely city. I’ve been
here several times now and have always experienced great
hospitality from all the people I meet here. It’s going to be a
truly unique event!”
In light of this positive endorsement, the promoter of the 2016
FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX OF EUROPE and Executive Director of BCC, Arif
Rahimov, commented: “We are delighted by Mr. Whiting’s positive
findings during his visit to Baku City Circuit today. We were
confident that FIA would be impressed by the progress we have made
so far and to have this confirmed today is a source of great pride
for all of our team. Now it is up to us to ensure that we see this
job through to the finish line and guarantee that upon his next
visit in early June, he will be able to declare the Baku City
Circuit fully ready to host a Formula 1 race. We know this will be
the case and we will continue to work hard to make this a truly
unforgettable and spectacular event for all fans watching from our
grandstands and on television at home.”
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